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Osensei and Einstein

The secret of Aikido, said Osensei, "is to harmonize ourselves with the movement of the universe and bring ourselves into accord with the universe itself." This is, of course, easier said than done. Still, I find Osensei's perspective to be rewarding in Aikido practice, as well as remarkably accurate even from a scientific viewpoint.

For Aikido not to be but an execution of smart tricks to fell an opponent, or an ever so pleasant physical exercise where two persons push each other around (although this is in itself quite amusing), we have to concentrate on the mysterious visions that were Osensei's. Then we notice a sweet accord between the ideals of Aikido and the cosmic world order. In fact, the principles of Aikido fit very well with the modern astronomical theories.

In space, when two celestial bodies move close to one another, it's the force of gravity that governs them. Gravity makes the earth orbit around the sun, instead of taking off into the vast emptiness of space.

When in the 1680's Isaac Newton was the first to calculate the laws of gravity, he described it as a force pulling the celestial bodies towards each other - not unlike when a wild horse is tamed by help of a rope around its neck, forcing it to run in circles instead of fleeing. Through its enormous mass, the sun could pull the earth into a continuously curved route, although the planet was aiming for a straight line. This unending power play, with the celestial giants in eternal conflict, was not particularly likable.

In the beginning of our century, Albert Einstein introduced his theories of relativity, and changed this perspective completely. He showed that gravity was not a tug of war, but a curving of the very space-time continuum: when the earth orbits around the sun, it's all the time travelling on its own straight course - instead it is space itself that's curved around the sun.

Therefore planet earth doesn't disappear into deep space, without the sun having to pull it. The orbit of the earth could be compared to the miniature Ferris-wheel for caged pet rodents, where they run and run, straight ahead, without getting anywhere at all.

This may be utterly frustrating to celestial bodies and small pets alike, but it's undeniably a harmonious guiding star for Aikido practice. The uke should not be thrown by being forced out of his course, but through curving the space-time continuum, so that he feels as if the route he's being lead is exactly the route he had himself chosen. As this is the way of the cosmos itself, and everything within, it could not be too difficult to learn, could it?

- Stefan Stenudd

Acknowledgments: Note: Chronicle for Svenska Fighter, Swedish Martial Art magazine, 1995, also published in The Aikido, Hombu dojo newsletter, 2/1997. Published here with the author's consent.www.stenudd.com